Fluid-pressure engine and control mechanism therefor



(Jet. 26 1926.

, G- C. KNZGHT FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFORFiled April 50. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 attonwq Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,587

G. C. KNIGHT FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE AND CONTROL mscnamsm THEREFOR FiledApril 30'. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. KNfiC-BHT FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE ANDCONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed April 30 1925 3 Sheets-$heet 3 PatentedOct. 26, 1926.

-UNl'l'E rants? rarer-tr GROVER C. KNIGHT, OF DE QUEEN, ARKANSAS.

Application filed April 30, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in fluid pressure engines andcontrol mechanism therefor and more particularly to engines employed asdriving apparatus for locomotives.

An important-object of the invention is to provide means for controllingmultiple cylinder engines which are operated under sustained loads sothat they may be changed readily from double to single acting enginesafter the load has been started, thus eliminating the unnecessaryexpenditure of the operating fluid thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of meansautomatically placing those ends of the cylinders of an engine of thetype above described and which are not in use while the cylinders arebeing employed as single acting cylinders in communication with oneanother so that vany tendency to the formation of pressure or vacuumbehind the pistons of the cylinders is effectually avoided.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a device ofthis character particularly adapted for use with locomotive engines acontrol mechanism for determining whether the steam is delivered to bothends or only one end of the cylinder and in the latter case to determineto which end of the cylinder the steam is admitted.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision ofcontrol mechanism of the character just described of such character thatit may be readily substituted in the ordinary piston valve cage oflocomotive engines for the removable and replaceable bushing nowemployed in such cages.

, A still further object of the invention is the provision of alocomotive driving mechanism including three cylinders, two of which areconnected in the'usual manner to the drive wheels and theother of whichis connected with the crank formed in the axle upon which the drivewheels are secured. These cylinders have Control means associatedtherewith whereb they apply their working stroke only at the upper areof movement of the crank connections to which they are applied, ithaving been noted that the thrust applied by the application of powerduring the lower arc of movement of such connections apparently placesgreat thrust upon the bearings and bushings of Serial No. $7,006.

the rod and the crank connections and transmits a hammering blow to therail at each application of pressure,

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment o my invention and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a locomotive saddle and its associatedparts during the connections employed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken through a cylinderand its associated valve chest and showing in connection therewith theoperating mechanism for the sleeve 23 and for the relief control valve52; i

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the relief ports and their controlvalves, the position of the parts being that assumed when steam is beingadmitted to the crank ends of the cylinders only;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view throughthe relief valve controlshowing in solid lines the valve in the position assumed when steam isadmitted to both ends of the cylinders and the relief ports are closedand illustrating in dotted lines the position when steam is beingadmitted only to the head or crank ends of the cylinders; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the connections employed foreach of the three cylinders.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10designates a locomotive saddle having cylinders 11, 12 and 18, thecylinders 11 and 13 occupying the positions ordinarily occupied by thecylinders of the ordinary type of locomotive while the cylinder 1 iscentrally located and has its rod 13" connected with a crank severalcylinders are best disclosed in the" diagrammatic view of Figure 5. Eachcylinder 11, 12 and 13 has assoclated therewith a valve chest 1'? 18 and19. For the purpose of illustration, the valve chest l7.has been shownin section the valve chest 18 and 19 being exactly s milar 1nconstructlon.

'lhe valve chest has in the form of a cyl- 'acent these 0 linder Jortsare arran ed further ports 26 and 27, the web between the ports 24: and26 being such that the dividing wall 28 will not close the port 21 whenpositioned there over and the web 29 between the ports and 2'? beingsimilarly con structed. It will be obvious that by shifting this sleevein one direction or the other, a cylinder port 21 or 22 is placed intocommunication with the valve chest While the second cylinder port 21 or22 is cut oil from communication with the valve chest. lVithin thesleeve 23, which corresponds to the bushing at present employed in thepiston valve chest of locomotive engines, is arranged the usual pistonvalve 30, the stem of which, indicated at 31, may be operated in theusual manner. The valve chest has, of course, the usual exhaust ports E.

..Operation of the sleeves 23 of the valve chest 17, 18 and 19 isellected by pivotally V which is pivotally connected with a stem 35.

mounting upon the saddle atransversely entending rock or tumbling shaft32 having depending arms 33 corresponding in number and arrangement tothe valve chest and each having connected thereto in opposition tothevalve chest a linl: 34, the free end of secured to the sleeve 23. Therock shaft has a further arm 36 to which is connected the forward end ofa link 37, the rear end of which is operatively connected with a latchlever 38 having three positions 39, em and 11. f/ hen the latch lever38, which may be located within the locomotive cab (not herein shown),is in the position 39, the sleeves are shifted so that the ports 26align with the cylinder ports 21 from the crank end cylinder ports andaccordingly steam or fluid pressure is admitted only to the crank end ofthe cylinders 11, 12 and 13. lVhen IllLlS in the position 4L0, bothports 21 and 22 are in communication with the valve chest and steam isadmitted to both ends of thecylinder and when it is in the position 41,

- the steam is admitted only to the head end of the cylinder. I

If the crankconnections of the cylinders 11,12 and 13 are spaced onehundred and twenty degrees about the circumference upon which theyoperate and the power during the upper half of travel, there will bethree impulses applied to the axle during each rotation and since theseimpulses are approximately one hundred and eighty'degrees duration, thepower impulses will overlap, thus giving a continuous application ofpower to the axle with areduction in steam expenditure in the cylinders11, 12 and 13 of twenty live a'ercent as compared with the two cylinderdriving mechanism ordinarily employed where steam is admitted to bothends of the cylinder. Furthermore, hammering of the bearings atconnections is avoided during the return or lower cycle and at the sametime, substantially the same power is transmitted to the driving axle.When reversing the engine, steam may be admitted to the head ends of thecylinders only and the same condition applies. W hen starting a heavyload, steam may be admitted to both ends to give the extra power desiredat this time.

will be obvious that some means must be provided for relieving the endsof the cylinders which are not in operation and to which steam not beingalternately fed and exhausted as otherwise an alternate vacuum andpressure will be formed in these cylinders with the result that theengine would become inoperative. This I provide by forming in the saddleports and connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders 11 and 12 andports ll and 5 connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders '12 and13. Each pair of ports 12 and 413 and and 13 is connected by a port =16having small breed outlet 17 communicating with the atmosphere.intercepting each port 12, 13, 414 and 45, adjacent each cylinder 11, 12and 13 is a cylindrical bore having arranged therein a piston valve l9,each shiftable to positions where it opens or closes the port with whichis associated. These valves are normally held in the open position bysprings 50 and are moved to the closed posl ion by the application offluid pressure between the piston valve and the outer end 51 of the bore43in a manner hereinafter to be described.

It will be obvious that when the valves 19 are in the position to closea given port, as for example, the port no communication is establishedbetween the cylinders connccted by this port and in the present instancethe cylinders 11 and 12, while, when the valves are in the openposition, con'imunication is established between the cylinders. Theoperating mechanism employed is such that the valves of the ports 1 erare simultaneously operated and the valves of the ports and to aresimultaneously operated.

This operating mechanism includes a bypass valve 52 comprising acircular ciiamber 53 in which is rotatable a segment 54. The chamber 53has ports 55, 56 and 5? and the segment has three positions 58, 59 andcorresponding to the positions 39, 40, 41, of the lever 38, as willhereinafter more fully appear. In the position 58 of the segment whichis effected by its operating lever 61, the ports 55 and 57 are placed incommuni-- cation. In the position 59, the ports 55, 56

and 5? are placed into communication and in the position 60, the ports55 and 56 are placed into communication. The port 55 is in communicationwith a branch 62 of the steam line 63 to the valve chests while the port'57 communicates with the outer ends of the bores 48 associated with theports 42 and and the port 56 is in communication with the outer ends ofthe bores 48 associated with the passages 43 and 45. The operatinghandle 61 of the segment 54 is connected by a link 62 with the link 37through. which an operation of the sleeves 23 is effected so that thissegment is shifted" as the lever 38 is shifted.

' Assuming that the engine is to start under load and that it is desiredthat steam be adnitted to both ends of all of the cylinders, the lever33 is moved to its position 40 and then steam is admitted in the usualmanner. With the lever in the position above described, each pistonvalve sleeve has the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 and theports 21 and 22 are in communication with their respective valve chests.At the same time, the segn'ient 54 is placed to place the ports 56, 57into communication with the port 55. As steam is admitted, steam passesthrough the ports 56 and 57 to each of the piston valve cylinders 48forcing the piston valves inwardly so that they close the ports 42, 43,44 and 45 and the ends of the cylinders 11, 12 and 13 are thrown out ofcommunication with one another. Steam is admitted to the cylinders inthe usual manner and after the load has been started, the lever 38 maybe shifted to its position 39 so that the ports 26 and 21 are alignedand the ports 22 are cut off from their valve chambers. At the sametime, the supply of steam to the piston'valves 49 associated with theports 43 and 45 is removed. The trapped pressure being relieved by arelief port 63 and a relief groove 64 formed in the segment 54 andwhich, when in the position 58, places the ports 56 and 63 intocommunication. When in the position 60, this relief groove Jlaccs theports 57 and 63 into communication ut when in the position 59, therelief groove is out of communication with both of the ports 56 and 57.The exhaust ports E are, of course, in communication with the interior.of the valve chest in all positions of the sleeve.

When the trapped pressure is released, the valves 49 will, of course, bemoved to their open positions by the springs 50 so that under thecircumstances above described,

when steam is admitted to the crank ends of the cylinders 11, 12 and 13,communication between these crank ends of the cylinders is cutoil andcommunication established between the head ends of these cylinders.Therefore, the pressure formed in front of the piston in any givencylinder may find relief in one or the other of the remaining cylindersand no vacuum or pressure will be formed between the ends of thecylinders and the piston. hen the lever 38 is moved to the position 41,the conditions just de scribed are reversed. Steam is admitted to thehead ends of the cylinder, the valves 49 of the ports 43 and 45 aremoved to the closed position and the valves 49 of the ports 42 and 44are moved to the open position, .thus placing the crank ends of thecylinders in communication.

Attention is directed to the fact that if steam is cut off from thecylinders during the operation of the engine at any time and at any oneof the positions of the lever 38, since the valve 52 obtains itspressurefrom the feed line, the valves 49 will all be released and moveto the open position permitting fluid within the cylinders 11, 12 and 13to intercomnninicate between these cylinders at both ends. Since thedisplacement will. be constant and by this construction not only are thecorresponding ends of the cylinders placed in communication with oneanother but likewise with the opposite-ends of the cylinders, it will beobvious that an efficient drifting mechanism is provided in which therewill be no tendency to the formation of vacuum or pressure.

It will furthermore beobvious that the construction hereinbefore setforth is capable of a certain range of change and modification withoutmaterially departing from the spirit of my invention and T accordinglydo not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafterclaimed.

I claim 1. In a steam engine, a plurality of cylinders, a valve chestfor each cylinder, a pair of ports communicating at opposite ends ofeach cylinder and opening to the valve chest thereof, a sleeve withineach valve chest and shiftable therein to establish communicationbetween the valve chest and a selected port. or to permit said ports tosimultaneously communicate with the valve chest, a piston valve withineach sleeve controlling the admission of fluid pressure to, and er:-haust of fluid pressure from the associated cylinder through the port orports communicating with the valve chest-and means for simultaneouslyshifting said sleeves and for locking the sleeves in adjusted positionsyports connecting corresponding ends of said cylinders, valves shiftableto close said ports and means operated by the control mecha-' nism ofsaid sleeves for shifting said valves to close the ports at the end or-ends oi the cylinders to which fluid pressure is being admitted.

2. In a steam engine, a plurality of cylinders,a valve chest for eachcylinder, a pair of ports communicating at opposite ends of eachcylinder and opening to the valve chest therot', a sleeve within eachvalve chest and shiftable therein to establish communication between thevalve chest and a selected port or to permit said ports tosimultaneously communicate with the valve chest, a piston valve withineach sleeve controlling the ad mission of fluid pressure, to, andexhaust oi. fluid pressure from the associated cylinder through the portor ports communicating with the valve chest, means for simultaneous lyshitting said sleeves and for locking the sleeves in adjusted positions,ports connectingcorresponding ends of said cylinders, valves shittableby fluid pressure to close said ports and a valve operated by thecontrol mechanism of said sleeves for admitting fluid pressure to closethe valves 01": the ports at the end or ends of the cylinder to whichfluid pressure is being admitted.

3. In a steam engine, a plurality of cylinders, a-valve chest for eachcylinder, a pair 01"? ports communicating at opposite ends of eachcylinder and opening to the valve chest thereof, a slee e within eachvalve chest and shittable therein to establish communication between thevalve chest and a selected port or to permit said ports tosimultaneously communicate with the valve chest, a piston valve withineach sleeve controlling the admission of fluid pressure to, and exhaustof fluid pressure from the associated cylinder through the port or portscommunicating with the valve chest, means for simultaneously shittingsaid sleeves and for locking the sleeves in adjusted positions, portsconnecting corresponding ends of said cylinders, valves shiftable byfluid pressure to close said ports, a valve operated'by the controlmechanism of said sleeves for admitting fluid pressure to close thevalves of the ports at the end or ends of the cylinder to which fluidpressure is being admitted, said valve having .a fluid pressure inletand a pair of fluid pressure outlets, one of said pairs of fluidpressure outlets communicating with each of the valves of the portsconnecting the head ends of the cylinders, the

other of said outlets con'nnunicating with each of the valvesoit' theports connecting the crank ends of the cylinders.

at. In a steam engine, a plurality of cylin ders, a valve chestior eachcylinder, a pair of ports communicating at opposite ends of eachcylinder and opening to t e valve chest therein,a sleeve within eachvalve chest and shittable therein to establish communication between thevalve chest and a selected port or to permit said ports tosimultaneously scones? communicate with the valve chest, a piston valvewithin each sleeve controlling the admission of fluid pressure to, andexhaust of fluid pressure from the associated cylinder through the portor ports communicating with the valve chest, means for simultaneouslyshitting said sleeves and for locking the sleeves in adjusted positions,ports connecting corresponding ends of said cylinders, valves shittableby fluid pressure to close said ports, a valve operated by the controlmechanism of said sleeves for admitting fluid pressure to close thevalves of the ports at the end or ends of the cylinder to which fluidpressure is being admitted, said valve having a fluid pressure inlet anda pair of fluid pressure outlets, one of said pairs of fluid pressureoutlets communicating with each of the valves of the ports connectingthe head ends of the cylinders, the other of said outlets communicatingwith each of the valves of the ports connecting the crank ends of thecylinders, said valve further includ ing a relief port and a reliefgroove placing either of said outlets in communication with h the reliefport when the other of the outlets alone is in communication with saidinletport.

5. in a steam engine, a plurality of cylinders, a valve chest for eachcylinder, a pair of ports communicating at opposite ends ofcach cylincerand opening to the valve chest therein, a sleeve within each valve chestand shift-able therein to establish communication between the valvechest and a selected port or to permit said ports to simultaneouslycommunicate with the valve chest, a piston valve within each sleevecontrolling the admission ot fluid pressure to, and exhaust ott' fluidpressure from the associated cylinder through the port or portscommunicating with the valve chest, means for simultaneously shittingsaid sleeves and for locking the sleeves in adjusted positions, portsconnecting corresponding ends of said cylinders, valves shittable byfluid pressure to close said ports, a valve operated by the controlmechanism of said sleeves tor admitting fluid pressure to close thevalves of the ports at the end or ends of the cylinder to which fluidpressure is being dmitted,said valve having a fluid pressure inlet and apair of fluid pressure outlets, one of said pairs of fluid pressureoutlets communicating with each of thevalves of the ports connecting thehead ends of the cylinders, the other of said outlets coimn nicatingwith each of the valves ofthe ports connecting the crank ends of thecylinders, said valve further including a relief port and a relieigroove placing either of said outlets in communication with the reliefport when the other of the outlets alone is in communication with saidinlet port, a fluid pressure feed line for the cylill) inders andcommunicating with each valve chest of each cylinder and a connect10n between said fiuid pressure feed line and the inlet of said controlvalve.

6. In a multiple cylinder steam engine, a piston reciprocable withineach cylinder, ports connecting corresponding ends of the cylinder,means for closing said ports when steam is admitted to the cylinders,comprising normally open valves closable by the admission or" fluidpressureto the cylinders, a steam line for the cylinders, and aconnection between the steam line of the cylinders and the valvesadmitting steam to the valves to close the same during its admission tothe cylinders, said cylinders each including valve mechanism forlimiting the application of steam there in to either end alone or toboth ends of the cylinder, the connection between the steam line andsaid valves including a valve for controlling admission of steam to thevalves of the ports whereby steam may be admitted only to those valvesat that end of the cylinders at which steam is being admitted.

7. In a steam engine, a plurality of cylinders, a piston reciprocablewithin each cylinder, means for admitting fluid pressure to saidcylinders at selected corresponding ends of said cylinders or toopposite ends thereof, ports connecting corresponding ends of saidcylinders and means under control of the first named means for closingthe ports connecting the ends of the cylinders to which fluid pressureis being admittec.

8. In a multiple cylinder steam engine, a piston reciprocahle withineach cylinder, means for admitting fluid pressure to said cylinders atselected corresponding ends thereof or to opposite ends thereof,passages connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders, a connectionbetween the passages connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders andmeans for closing the passages connecting the ends of the cylinders towhich steam is admitted by the first named means.

9. In a multiple cylinder steam engine, a piston reciprocable withineach cylinder, means for admitting fluid pressure to said cylinders atselected corresponding ends thereof or to opposite ends thereof,passages connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders, a connectionbetween the passages connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders andmeans for closing the passages connecting the ends of the cylinders towhich steam is admitted by the first named means, the last named meansbeing under the control of the first named means.

10. In a multiple cylinder steam engine, a piston reciprocable withineach cylinder, means for admitting fluid pressure to said cylinders atselected corresponding ends thereof or to opposite ends thereof,passages connecting corresponding ends of the cylinders, a connectionbetween the passages connecting corresponding ends or" the cylinders andmeans for closing the passages connecting the ends of the cylinders towhich steam is admitted by the first named means, said connection havinga bleed port communicating with the atmosphere.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

(moves 0. KNIGHT.

